PO Box 16304 Seattle WA 98116 206-932-8352 info@.net Rwanda, east Africa: gorilla trek Trip Dates: 4-Day Custom Departures as Extension to Safari 2011 Trip Cost: $1559 + $1080 Trek Permit IMPORTANT: Gorilla permits are in high demand and need to be booked and paid in advance! Book your gorilla safari early to avoid disappointment. DAY 1 Fly into the Kigali International Airport - your driver-guide will meet you here. Depending on your arrival time, your driver-guide may propose a visit of Kigali city and the Genocide Memorial center at Gisozi. Transfer to Ruhengeri at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park. Hotel accommodation is your choice (see below). (D) (A Note about the Genocide Memorials: All over Rwanda, you will find Memorials to remember the genocide of 1994. The most important ones are those of Kigali (Gisozi) and Murambi (Gikongoro,) where the history of the genocide is explained. A visit to the genocide memorial is, for most visitors, an emotional event.) DAY 2 After breakfast, you will depart for the Park Headquarters, where your driver-guide will complete the necessary formalities for entrance into the Park. You will meet your ranger/guide(s) for a briefing about the unique animal experience on which you are about to embark! You will drive to the slopes of one of the Virunga volcanoes for your first gorilla trek. After lunch, explore the beautiful Lakes Bulera & Ruhondo. Overnight in Ruhengeri. (BLD) DAY 3 After breakfast, you will report to the Headquarters for your second trek to find a different Gorilla group. If you love to hike and enjoy a great sense of achievement, we advise you to take one of the groups with a longer hiking distance. After today s trek, you will eat lunch and depart to Kigali. On your way to Kigali, several stops will be made to admire the scenery. Rwanda is the country of
a thousand hills! Overnight in Kigali. (BLD) (A note about the Gorilla treks: The Sussa group with more than 30 members is the most challenging gorilla group to be visited in Rwanda. They are located at the Karisimbi volcano, about a one-hour drive from the park headquarters. The trekking usually lasts the whole day. Good physical condition is recommended. See more below about the groups of Rwanda Gorillas and trekking among them.) DAY 4 Depending on your departure time, and if you missed the opportunity the first day, you will have the opportunity to explore Kigali and visit the Genocide Memorial Center at Gisozi. Transfer to the Airport for your departure. (B) Accommodation Options: Nights 1-2: La Palme (2-star) - Standard Hotel Gorillas Volcanoes (3-Star) GMV Lodge (3-Star) Virunga Lodge (4-star) Exclusive #1 Night 3: Hotel Chez Lando (3-star) Standard Milles Collines aka Hotel Rwanda (4-star) Standard (under renovation) Ninzi Hotel (1-star) Budget Hotel Kigali Serena (5-star) Exclusive #1 and #2 Single Supplement: $175 Standard Land Costs $1559 (standard) Trek Permit fee $1080 Deposit Entire fee due upon extension (Trek fee is nonrefundable) Flights Approx. $700 (Kenya- Rwanda RT) Trip Dates Year Round Group Size 2+ Difficulty Moderate to Difficult Hiking Activities Hiking, Wildlife, Cultural Exchange Land Costs: $1279 (Budget) / $1599 (Standard) / $2530 (Exclusive #1) Single supp: $60 (Budget) / $195 (Standard) / $330 (Exclusive #1) Continued
A FEW IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT YOUR TRIP...Read carefully Included in your Trip Fee: 3 nights accommodation (your choice of budget, standard or exclusive); 2 airport transfers; meals as indicated on itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner); the services of a driver-guide; mineral water on safari; all park and entry fees; all activities as per itinerary; visit to Kigali including the Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi; 2 gorilla treks. Not Included in your Trip Fee: International airfare; alcoholic beverages and soda; tips for guides or hotel attendants, visa fees; any meals not specified in itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner); personal clothing; flying doctors and travel/evacuation/medical insurance; laundry; money for incidental personal expenses or donations; optional single supplement fee ($175+). What to bring with you: Money for your personal expenses (average of $50 per person), outfit with adapted colors for wildlife observation, good walking shoes, raingear, a few long-sleeve shirts, slippers, sweater for cool evenings, sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sun cream; video/photo camera, a 200 mm or longer telephoto lens is very useful, reserve batteries, films and a flashlight/headlamp. Travel & Trip Insurance: We strongly recommend that travel insurance be purchased immediately following your registration. The insurance protects you and your money from late cancellations, accidents or illness in remote areas, emergency evacuation, loss of baggage, airline flight changes and other unexpected delays. The particular program we recommend (Access America) will cover preexisting conditions if you purchase full coverage within fourteen (14) days following your registration or flight purchase. Information available upon request. How to Register: If you have not downloaded an application from our website, please contact our office for a complete registration packet. Complete the application form and return it to us along with the appropriate payment. Upon receipt of your application, we will send you a confirmation and final details about your pre-trip preparation. Payment Outline & Schedule: We accept Visa, MasterCard, AmEx and personal check payments. Full payment due at time of registration ($515/day trek permit fee + Admin fee non-refundable) Cancellation & Refund Policy If you must cancel prior to departure, the following fee will be assessed based upon our receipt of your written cancellation request: Days Prior to Departure (trip destination) 90 or more... $1,080 (trek permit fee for two days) 60 to 89... $1,380 45 to 59... 50% fee 1 to 44... 100% fee No partial refunds are possible for any unused portion of your trip. Penalties on airline tickets are subject to the individual air carrier's rules and regulations. Departure is defined as the date of the first flight, or the trip departure date as indicated on our Trip Schedule, whichever comes first. Once a trip has been confirmed medical circumstances will not be considered as exceptions to our cancellation policy. However, if you have purchased a comprehensive Travel Insurance plan that covers cancellation, you may be able to retrieve some of the funds. See below for a MAP and more information on gorillas and trekking
Gorillas and Trekking The story of the mountain gorillas is one of heart-rending carnage. In the 1960s there were said to be 5,000 mountain gorillas in Central Africa, but by the 1990s there were no more than 650 left, thus rendering this ape one of the most endangered species on earth. The gorilla was for a long time one of the world's most misrepresented animals. The American naturalist, Diane Fossey (Author of Gorillas in the Mist), dispelled the myths and revealed that gorillas are in fact shy and gentle creatures, intelligent, sociable and given to aggression only as a means of defense. We owe Diane Fossey a great debt for bringing the gorillas to public attention and inspiring governments to introduce laws for their protection. She also contributed largely to set out the basic rules for gorilla viewing. Today, the International Gorilla Conservation Program covers all three countries, and it is most certainly a great privilege to be able to visit these mountain gorillas. The entire world s gorilla population is found in 2 only conservation areas: The volcanic Virunga Mountains, which straddle the common borders of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda; and in South Western Uganda's Impenetrable Forest. Each conservation area gives a different gorilla experience. The habitat in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a dense rainforest while in Kinigi, Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Mt. Mgahinga (Uganda) the habitat of the gorillas is part of the Virunga, the famous chain of volcanoes located in Congo, Rwanda and also partially in Uganda.
A typical gorilla trek starts with assigning the visitors to the respective habituated gorilla groups. In Bwindi the groups are assigned when buying the gorilla permit while in Rwanda the Park Authorities will assign them on site the day of the trekking. After this formality the Rangers will give you a briefing of the way they will conduct this fantastic guided nature walk to the gorillas. They will give you extensive information on the environment, the gorilla family you will visit, and the way you should behave with them. The so named gorilla rules will be clearly set out because it s a corner stone in the conservation of the gorillas. There is not only a high risk of disease transmission to gorillas and vice versa, but the daily visits can cause behavioral disturbance and stress to the gorillas. Please respect the rules! After the briefing we will drive you to nearest location outside the park and from there your rangers will guide you to the gorillas. Gorilla trekking is unpredictable and it s difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. In Bwindi the hiking time are generally much challenging. The terrain is usually more difficult in the rainforest and hiking times are longer because when looking for food, Bwindi gorillas tend to travel longer distances per day. In Rwanda the gorilla trekking is usually easier except for the challenging Sussa group located at the Karisimbi volcano. This doesn t mean that you don t need good physical condition in Rwanda. We have seen several times that visitors had some problems during their trekking. Rain can catch you by surprise, and during the dry season gorillas tend to climb higher for preferred bamboo shoots. It has to be said that the park rangers and the porters are extremely helpful and will do everything they can to make sure that visitors can see the gorillas. We therefore strongly advise not to hesitate to take a porter. Porters can be very efficient and in return, you help local communities to benefit from tourism! There is also a very efficient rescue team available in the parks for visitors in emergencies. For conservation purposes, the time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. The daily visits have an impact on gorilla activity patterns. The daily visits are a source of animal stress and reduced feeding this alone is a strong justification for the one-hour rule. Gorilla trekking is an incredibly unique animal experience! Tracking the gorillas allows you to come face to face with these unusual creatures in their natural habitat it is a very intense and thrilling experience! You will be rewarded with a certificate from the National Park! Copyright 2008,. All Rights Reserved. PO Box 16304 Seattle, WA 98116-0304 Ph: 206-932-8352